Wednesday, November 27, 2013

I drenched myself in monsoons of your passionI quenched my thirst in the rains of our unisonYet, parched and withered I remainBecause our warmth has left me in painI seek to walk away from you but just cannotFor, to leave you is going to make my life go vainWhen I trudge towards you and I am rewarded by a slap"The good times have gone by, now you shouldn't expect a clap"I hear this from your still and mellowed voiceStill, I do not crib or sob upon on my choice I live alone now, in those gone by monsoons unmoved and stillIn patience, like a patent who took a time-stop pillI wait for to come for one last time, just come and kill meSo that, when I die, I pass in peace as I see you in my last breathI am not in your heart perhaps now any momentCome take my life and make your eternal past I would then be happy living as your past, though dead in present

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Smile for the morning and smile for the noonSmile for the night too that comes so soonKeep a smile for your kid and a smile for your motherSmile back at those too who just make you botherLife is fun till it is done awayTo smile all through is the best wayA precious gift which is undervaluedSo know its worth and make it valuableSmile when down if you canCoz if you smile then you are the manSmile makes up all the worriesSmile surpasses all the gloriesNothing glorifies life than a beautiful smile

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Before I review, few words please to let you know that I am just sharing this review to keep up with my discipline of writing and sharing reviews as and when I see a film in a theatre or on Big Screen.

I caught up with this film yesterday night at the Children's film festival at Lalitha Kala Thoranam with my nephew and my sister. It was fun in many ways to be seeing kids film with so many kids around.

This is a German film and I am surprised how many kids gathered to see this and my nephew was interpreting most of the film perfectly fine, I was in awe with the knowledge and ideas todays kids have.

The movie is a fable like story where a boy loses his father to an evil man and must get him back. It was a simple enough story that was made interesting by some wonderful shots. It is an adventure that shot akin Harry Potter. I believe so, many will mostly like this considering the simplicity it has. The film is done simply with noble intention of presenting a story with a moral. The boy rises above odds and uses his powers and gets back his father and wins over the evil.

The production qualities were good and certain shots made in Computer Graphics were amazing. The art direction was great too. But I am not over impressed by the story as it is more a common place story than a different or a special one which you might expect at a film festival. Also, I loved a few dialogues which were humorous. The acting by most actors was very funny even silly and yet so apt. It's good that most of the acting brought out laughs.

I am going with 3/5 with this film. Above all, I loved the atmosphere and watching kids laughing and screaming at movies.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

A powerful film that has a question, how do we know if something is real or fake.

A man is disguised and pretends himself to be a film director; he uses that alibi so as to feed himself and earn some money. Now that he is satisfied, he overdoes it to a point that he gets caught by the law. But wasn't he real to a right amount of time, are people so easily convinced and if all is true, then what is the real truth? Now, this might sum up an intrigue I kept jotting myself as I was curious even after the end of the film.

Primarily, I thank criterion again for putting this in their collection and helping me learn about it. I respect their collection much. Secondly, I was lucky to have decided to watch this on Sunday night as this kind of film makes up most of the lost weekend. It simply gives me a viewer joyous, because this is not a regular movie that has a beginning with the introduction of hero, and ending with a big fight or dance. This film has questions, be it of identity or even purpose of existence and means of survival. That's like fodder for the cattle of viewers, and I love such good food which makes me relish as well as force me try the same taste again.

Abbas Kiarostami took this story from a real incident and made it as a docu-drama, and he did it with finesse and perfection. So thanks to him in a big way. As my earlier Kiarostami movie which is WHERE IS FRIEND'S HOME, this film is also low on production values and rich in content.

Thanks to the ensemble cast who have played out their real life characters here. Kiarostami pulled it off astonishingly well. I would be critical if I said that anybody in the film acted well. Indeed, it's not called acting, it's called living the role, and each one has done that exquisitely well. Kiarostami also used the sound superbly; it was real and yet so dramatic. The dialogues conveyed a deeper philosophical meaning, and they had layers. The questions the judge put across to the accused were well drafted, and they clarified most of my doubts as a viewer too.

As and when I cast a logical doubt; the film returned me the answer asking a similar question that was running through my head and it was phenomenal in my perspective. Seldom, I have seen such a thing that keeps you glued making you think and as if it has heard your questions, answers you back. Kiarostami seems to have known the psyche of a viewer way too well, that he might have himself asked so many questions before putting the script in place.

Also, I got to know of another Iranian director in this film Mohsen Makhamalbaf. Maybe I will catch up with some of Mohsen's films too. But for now, I am happy to have seen this and reviewing it for my own good gives me happiness.

I am going with 4/5 and please consult this in any which way possible, and I assure you that you will be subjected to a different kind of experience that's unique, to say the least.

Also, my review of another Kiarostami movie which is WHERE IS FRIENDS HOME?

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

I revel in the exploration of music and movies and am very happy to have found this film. Here, I share my feelings about this film. My review goes like this

An admirable film that relates to growing up, understanding relationships and more so seeking companionship.

At 27, in America you are naturally expected to be with someone either in a physical relationship or dating or engaged. But, Frances Ha does not have any of those, she is seeking and trying to find if there is someone or hoping that may someone find her. Staying with her girlfriend 'Sophie' there is a world she has made of her own and tries to do something good for Sophie and herself always.

Derived from the name of the character which is Frances Haliday and portrayed superbly by Greta Grewig who has brought life to the character. Greta Grewig plays it extremely convincingly and with complete control over very nuance and the subdued emotion of the character.

Characters are etched out by actions and the actions are reflected by the dialogue. The dialogue is a sheer choice of words like we do in our daily lives. If someone asks something we have a plethora of words and emotions to pick from. The range varied from a sarcastic remark to an admirable sigh to a gesture of gratitude. Now this very choice makes us what we are and that indeed had made Frances Ha a very relatable character. It can be you too given that you are a girl or rather understand what is being girl all about.

As I mentioned, dialogue reveals character and in this motion picture it's the choice of words by Noah Baumbach and they turn into good dialogue and making the film interesting and worthwhile. This is a film of a Woman of today that is 2012 and her own self identify crisis, self goals, financial coping up on standing by herself in making ends meet and all of that and more, even some psychological and physical aspects. All put together it is a completely contemporary movie. And I love it coz this about a girl of today, in the times I live.

Interestingly, the film is in Black and White I have always loved the Black and White simply because they minimize the trappings of admiration, you cannot say, oh, that was lit of so well, the lights are wonderful, a great natural scene and all that, coz it's all devoid of colours and if leaves are not green, most would not bother if they are black or white. So that sets me as a viewer in focus and the focus primarily is on the emotions of the character. I love the black and white films and happy that even today a handful of directors are trying this.

It's good in editing, indeed it was so quick that it got over in a whizz, it's wonderful in cinematography that made me feel claustrophobic when shot in the apartments and made me feel so clumsy in crowd and happy in the woods. The dialogues are smart witty and extremely relatable.

Now, above all I loved the relationship of the two girls Sophie and Frances. They are like two thick friends who have some ego within them that develops, it can be considered envy to an extent but there are no hard feelings yet as they wish each other luck. So tough to put a name to it and it really made it interesting.

The climax is not there and is like, life goes as in the telugu film "ANTHULENI KATHA" where the protagonists life goes on, driven more by circumstances this film too has that and it makes it more realistic.

This kind of cinema is becoming a rarity as we are moving into more commercial space where film is losing the purpose of art, it's more like how much money will I get with a venture than about, how many will like it. I am unhappy coz I had to watch this as a download and not in cinemas. Thanks to Criterion collection for making me aware of this gem.

I am going with 4/5 for a film I loved. For the real film aficionados, this will be a well worth spent time.

About Me

I firstly declare here that all the content written in the blog is exclusively written by me and I hold the copyrights of each and everything. Be it a poem or a movie review. Also, the videos or photographs I upload or attach are exclusively owned by me. This declaration is important in a world that seems so worried of piracy. The prime purpose of these blogs is to put my writings and photographs on the net. and well to start with.... I live in my mind, and existence is the attempt to bring my thoughts into physical reality, I celebrate myself, sing myself and I am always happy in my own company.....I am not the best in the world but I strive for excellence and thats what keeps me alive...
Talking much about oneself can also be a means to conceal oneself--Friedrich Nietzsche